leg-of-mutton

or leg-o'-mut·ton

[ leg-uh-muht-n, -uhv- ]

/ ˈlɛg əˈmʌt n, -əv- /

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adjective

having the triangular shape of a leg of mutton: leg-of-mutton sail; a dress with leg-of-mutton sleeves.

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Origin of leg-of-mutton

First recorded in 1830–40

Words nearby leg-of-mutton

leglen, legless, legman, Legnica, LEGO, leg-of-mutton, legoglobin, legong, leg-pull, Legree, Legree, Simon

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use leg-of-mutton in a sentence

While the two boys were talking they had adjusted the mast and rigged the little leg-of-mutton sail.
The Go Ahead Boys on Smugglers' Island|Ross Kay
The word has an Early Victorian sound that suggests side-whiskers and leg-of-mutton trousers.
Flaming June|Mrs. George de Horne Vaizey
The sails most commonly used on canoes are the leg-of-mutton sail and the standing lug.
Harper's Round Table, August 20, 1895|Various
A leg-of-mutton sail requires a tall mast, which some canoeists regard as a serious objection.
Harper's Round Table, August 20, 1895|Various

There was a keg in the boat and a mast with a leg-of-mutton sail.
Carette of Sark|John Oxenham

British Dictionary definitions for leg-of-mutton

leg-of-mutton

leg-o'-mutton

noun

(modifier) (of a sail, sleeve, etc) tapering sharply or having a triangular profile

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012